(Archived) The thread in which we discuss the videogames we are playing in the year 2023

video games
1689

I‘m about 4 hours into Shenmue now. The structure of the game’s opening hours are hilarious: just running around asking people where to find men in black suits, where to find Chinese people, where to find Chinese people who work with knives, where to find a guy with a tattoo, where to find a guy named Charlie, etc, etc. You just keep getting deflected around and around, to the point where I already can‘t really remember what relevance Charlie has to the men in black suits. At the point where I am, the momentum has started to slow, as I’ve reached a couple events where you‘re asked to come back the next day. Not really sure what I’m meant to do in the intervening time, so I just wander around and admire the little details in all the stores.

I'm playing with the English voice acting; it's just iconic. I really appreciate Ryo's style. He gets straight to the point. When someone tries to tell him something not related to his objective, he clearly does not listen. Just, "I see," and then on to the questioning. All the characters you meet immediately reveal distinct personalities without feeling ridiculous. I love _Deadly Premonition_, but a problem I have with many of Swery's games is that the characters are so over-the-top that there seems to be little to them beside a gimmick. In _Shenmue_'s world, everyone is silly in the way people in any neighbourhood are a little silly. My favourite is the pizza guy, and the man who hangs out in front of his sporting goods store miming different sporting actions. You also gotta love Tom, although he is rarely any help.

I'm not really sure where the game is going from here, but I'm having quite a lot of fun. I like buying a can of coffee from the vending machine and chugging it in one go. That's what I used to do when I lived in a small Japanese city! That's what I'm gonna go do when I go visit next month! As long as I can find Georgia "The Premium" Coffee... that is my preferred brand. I once tried a Kirin Fire and I spat it out onto the street. Almost ruined my day.

I'm also playing _Suikoden II_. I'm going to talk about that in the _Suikoden_ thread soon. The opening minutes reminded me of a scene from _War & Peace_. The sound design and environmental effects are quite impressive. When I walked into the first town and a bunch of birds flew from the ground in front of me, I gasped. Bird movement is a sure-fire way to my heart. The seagulls in _Metal Gear Solid 2_, the pigeons that fly off in _Deadly Premonition_... I struggle to think of more examples. Really, the more similar to the [opening scene](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxbxwMC2CAk&list=PLQommyVCB63BgupdwN8Jygk_-sfQbsv8p&index=5&ab_channel=Eva01) of _Neon Genesis Evangelion_, the better.

I've been having a good deal of fun with games lately. I also tried _Way of the Samurai_, which I thought was conceptually amazing, but I struggled so much with the combat that I couldn't make much progress. Each fight ended with me begging for my life, and I didn't last much longer than 20 mins in any of my first three playthroughs. Defeating people in combat seems to be the only way to exert agency in the game, so I feel like I wouldn't be able to make meaningful choices without getting better at it, but I just couldn't get it to click with me. I'll remember my time with it, though, and maybe I'll go back some other time and stick it out. I was already looking forward toward _Shenmue_, so maybe I didn't give it all the time it deserved.

1690

I beat The Red Lantern today, and it's an interesting indie roguelike about Dog Sledding. The game makes a great first impression with its graphics and voice acting, and even though the game is relatively short at about 2 hours long, it ends within minutes of overstaying its welcome. Credit to the team who made this for being realistic about the scope and showing some restraint. I beat it in 5 runs, but if I had to do a 6th, I would have started to sour on it. There is a post game and a way to be a completionist for those who want it, but I felt like I had seen everything after 4 runs.

I love the idea of having non-combat roguelites, but the game would have worked better if it was structured like Oregon Trail instead of having permanent upgrades. I found the basic gameplay loop enjoyable, but the meta progression lacking. The basics are, you pick a direction, an event is set up, you can engage or not, and if you engage you have a second choice. There's not much beyond that, there's only 1 minigame (hunting), and it was so easy I never missed my shot. Most of your time is spent doing resource management, but that's where the larger loop breaks down. Some of the permanent upgrades are incredibly impactful >!(like the flint and the dog boots)!< that it removes the sense of danger. Other ones, like >!fishing pole, axe, and trap!< I only used once and didn't need them by the time I got them. Ultimately my final run was my least favorite run, because much of the challenge was taken away and I had seen enough of the content that I skipped through a lot of the dead ends that eat resources.

The roguelike design also makes the story feel incredibly contrived. You can look at the real-life examples of people who leave for Alaska from _Into the Wild_ or _Grizzly Man_ and they're marginalized outsiders who still have survival skills and know the risks. This story is about a San Francisco doctor decided her pet dog was going to lead an expedition to a remote part of Alaska and only packs enough for half a day of food, 2 fires, a band-aid, and 3 bullets. It's only due to last minute nightmares of getting slaughtered or dying from exposure that she remembers to pack things like an axe. Ashly Birch's skillful delivery can only suspend so much disbelief, and the fact that the entire game is voice acted at all times, it gets repetitive after about an hour. The game fails to make any kind of statement about the type of people who give everything up, or if doing that is a good idea. The threat of bears, starvation, and lack of resources doesn't go away for the character once the game is over.

Still, it's an interesting game and I'm glad I picked it up on a deep discount. I liked it a lot more while playing it then I do while thinking about it in hindsight.

1691

I wrote a little editorial on a game called Junk if anyone is interested in that. I've been playing the game for a few months and decided it was about time to write my thoughts down somewhere

1692

@“connrrr”#p130311 the pikmin definitely sing “whaat thaa fuck” in pikmin 2.

1693

Ok, I caved and got Bomb Rush Cyberfunk, and it is in fact a ridiculously close facsimile of Jet Set Radio, but with updated QoL stuff like a map, waypoint markers, more rational graffiti controls, and so on. It‘s kind of funny, because other than those updated features, it’s as though they set out to replicate JSR to the point of even including its flaws, like the odd fiddly missions you get from rivals squads, where it can look as though you pulled it off but you fail anyway, only to reattempt it and have it go exactly the same except this time you succeed. I find it pretty hilarious that if somebody literally duplicated just about any game series the way this does, without hugely deviating from the original, I would roll my eyes forever, but somehow this just clicks.

It's a real accomplishment, and it reminds me how dear JSR/F still are to me.

1694

I‘ve decided that I want to get good (or at least better) at R-Type, so every evening for the past few days, I’ve loaded up the PC Engine version of the original and played until game over. So far, the middle of stage 2 is the best I‘ve done. It’s hard!

1695

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@“wickedcestus”#p130377 I’ve been having a good deal of fun with games lately. I also tried Way of the Samurai, which I thought was conceptually amazing, but I struggled so much with the combat that I couldn’t make much progress.

Don't get discouraged, it's normal to get pummeled as a lowly ronin at first. The game is a bit roguelike-ish but you retain katanas if you get any ending (leaving or passing days counts) so good early goals would be procuring a decent one, getting familiar with the areas, plot/NPCs/choices and experimenting with the battle system before tackling any 'official' endings.

Battle-wise maybe give the tutorial another go as stuff like pushing/pulling isn't too clear and parrying is strong, might be easier playing defensively at first (some NPCs hit like a truck), or just the very first fight . A couple of areas are good training grounds without repercusions (don't forget to R1+[ ] kick those radishes for quick healing and no shame in running away when needed).

1696

@“bnn”#p130624 Thanks for the advice. I‘ll give it another shot, because it is such an interesting idea. I played through the tutorial but it was hard to internalize it in one go, and I didn’t want to go back because the text boxes go so… slow… I will focus next time on trying to win a single fight and getting a better katana. Do they automatically carry over or do you have to give them to the blacksmith? I didn‘t quite understand the game’s explanation for that.

1697

@“Mnemogenic”#p130596 I've long thought about doing this same thing but with R-Type Delta. That game is so wonderful to look at.

1698

@“tomjonjon”#p130633 i did this sort of thing with delta, way back when. iirc i could get to stage 4 consistently but rarely got past that one.

1699


1700

@“HyggeState”#p130686 If you told me Doink Binko was a canon name I'd believe you

1701

Love those KOTOR games. That first one was probably the last BioWare game I was super into.

1702

@“deadbeat”#p130688 It is now.

1703

Playing MGS4 Act 2 while listening to the in-game iPod.

>!





1704

@“wickedcestus”#p130632 If you “survive” a playthrough (this includes manually leaving the game area or doing nothing of value until the time limit) you keep any katanas in your pocket and can used next play. Conversely if you die they are lost forever (losing your cherished katana after a few playthroughs is crushing… by design).

Low level thugs drop katanas with random stats (HP/durability/attack/defense), and with some luck you can get decent stuff in easy fights. The blacksmith can improve those stats, with drawbacks. Befriending factions will sometimes send you with helper NPCs into missions that may serve as battle training. Some events/ending paths will pit you against tougher characters, so it's better not going full [Yojimbo ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yojimbo)until you are more familiar with battles, but they often drop good unique katanas, which gives the game a fun collecting aspect.

Katanas have different stances/movesets, and can unlock very useful moves (safer and/or powerful) if you keep using them, so experiment a bit until you find a few you like (check the in-game move list too). I think the battle system is best approached like a fighting game: first focus on defense and recognizing + blocking/avoiding enemy attacks, and go into the offensive with weak attacks (safer on block/miss) and punish or pressure with strong attacks. It does take a bit to learn, don't worry too much.

Make no mistake, fights are fairly tough and tense by design, so you want to pick your battles wisely but also gives you an excuse to replay given playthroughs are quite short. Killed in your quest to get along with everybody? Maybe try being Jerk Samurai next time, there are many not-really-meaningful choices simply to roleplay. Did you try helping the girl in the first scene? Fighting and winning? Fighting and begging for your life? Joining the bad guy? Attacking everybody on the spot? Just moving into the village? To the forest? Not doing anything at all? (even the first 5 minutes are so cool).

1705

After (re)listening to the Retronauts 2D Mario Ranking Hootenanny I decided to play every stage of every world of Super Mario Bros. 3. Last night I played up to World 3. I‘m playing on a Switch (for the ability to save, but not save-scum hopefully) with the NES controller. I’m also going to use the Nintendo Power guide as to not miss anything in the levels I‘m not familiar with. I won’t be using the guide to clear the N card memory game though. I will use my brain for that.

1706

@“bnn”#p130755 hijacking this great advice. I was in a similar position when i tried playing it a while back. I had fun dying in a bunch of different ways but never completed a play through. Ive been meaning to go back to it, and now i feel like I understand it a little more.

1707

Something I‘ve accidentally noticed in games I’ve been popping into recently is that I love a simple voiceover tutorial. Gauntlet Legends on Dreamcast and Earth Defense Force 2017 both do this – the former during early gameplay and in-between action, and the latter just in-between action. When you‘ve just cranked it up, you play the game like any other session, sans overt tutorial, and an omniscient voice just says stuff like "here’s what this item is,“ ”you should try this,“ ”do this little management between levels." It‘s such a nice way to start a certain type of game, I wish it were more common. I went from those into Onechanbara (big weird old Xbox diving on a new Series S, highly recommended) which has a lot of unique gameplay elements and tons of pick-ups that I don’t remember (flick the blood off your sword or bad stuff will happen, berserker mode is more powerful but drains HP and is unavoidable, etc.), I was really missing that little element.

I also think I've found a nice smooth-brain game among the regular cruising: Dragon Ball Z Kakarot, which I got in a Namco sale for $15. I only watched DBZ in middle school via Toonami, and chiefly wanted to take in all of the story beats in 30ish hours rather than 100-plus, which this'll do. But after an hour of play, I think it'll also fill the role of a big ol', nice graphics having, massive fields of grass packing, pick-up-the-orb, waller in tons of menus sort of modern JRPG that I often have an itch for but without making me groan all the time like a Xenoblade. I realize I want to do that stuff in an aesthetically beautiful shell with fun adventure storytelling, and if that storytelling is bad, I'd rather it be goofy (and we're a long way from the next Dragon Quest filling all of those gaps with quality in every department). I shoulda been playing this or those recent Star Oceans to scratch that itch this whole time, is how I'm feeling at the moment. It's fun.

More errant thoughts from the too-many games I look at:

  • - Was not prepared for the graphical jump from Yakuza Kiwami to Kiwami 2. Mama mia (this is also testament to how much I prefer gaming on consoles; Yakuza 0 took me two years on PC, but I‘m through 1.5 more Yakuzas in a few months’ time on console)

  • - Sonic Pinball Party is the portable digital pinball game wrapped in prime early 2000s Sega aesthetics that I didn't know I wanted
  • - The opening of Doom 3 is still sweaty as hell, wowzers, but Quake still wins the vibes war
  • - Did a complete playthrough of Silent Hill 2 via the dreaded HD Collection, and it's _fine_. With the original voices setting on, and aside from the single comic sans sign, I didn't notice anything egregious without having it side-by-side with another version. Yes, play the fan-modded or original hardware versions if you can, but let's recognize that those are largely inaccessible to most people's messing-with-tech limits, so if you'd rather not fuck about and just pay $10 for 2 and 3 (opinion on 3's new voices TBD), it's _fine_
  • - The new Exoprimal suits feel like a bit of a dud, but that was still my game of the summer, get in there if you've ever looked at a Lost Planet fondly
  • - The demo of the new Samba De Amigo is immensely joyful, the Joy-Cons work very well, and I wish Sega would produce an officially licensed maraca controller, or at least attachments. They ponied up for actual pop artist renditions rather than the Kidz Bop versions you'll usually get. You're gonna get Sonic in there, you're gonna get Baka Mitai in there, you're gonna get Space Channel 5 in there, you're gonna get Puyo Puyo skins, I'm ready to shake around
  • - I've played through Final Fantasies I-IV this year and most of V, and because I keep forgetting to post in the Final Fantasy thread, I'll say shortly that II is the most fun in its modern format, V was a strong contender and still is, but I can conclude that it most certainly does overstay its welcome in the last leg, especially played back-to-back with its nicely compact brothers
  • - Beat Klonoa 2 for the first time and while it's not a patch on the first game for me, I'm always down for my boy and I do appreciate a game that is simply and frankly about emotions without overtly being about sad white boy indie creator emotions
    • 1708

    @“tokucowboy”#p130966 did you play original klonoa 2 or the remastered one? i played through the remasters in the past year and i felt similarly - that k2 wasn't as good as the first - but i wondered if that was a product of the remaster?